Photon counting device and photon counting method

Abstract

A photon counting device includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element configured to convert input light to charge, and an amplifier configured to amplify the charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element and convert the charge to a voltage, an A/D converter configured to convert the voltage output from the amplifier of each of the plurality of pixels to a digital value and output the digital value, a correction unit configured to correct the digital value output from the A/D converter so that an influence of a variation in a gain and an offset value among the plurality of pixels is curbed, a calculation unit configured to output a summed value obtained by summing the corrected digital values corresponding to at least two pixels, and a conversion unit configured to convert the summed value output from the calculation unit to a number of photons.

1 . A device comprising:
 a CMOS image sensor including a plurality of pixels and an A/D converter, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element configured to convert input light to charge, and an amplifier configured to amplify the charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element and convert the charge to a voltage, and wherein the A/D converter is configured to convert the voltage output from the amplifier of each of the plurality of pixels to a digital value and output the digital value;   a computer configured to output a summed value obtained by summing the digital value in at least two pixels that are targets of binning among the plurality of pixels,   convert the summed value by referring to threshold data corresponding to a size of the binning, and   output a conversion result of the summed value converted.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an input device for inputting measurement conditions,
 wherein the targets of the binning are designated based on the measurement conditions input to the input device.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and a column direction of the binning are designated based on the measurement conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and the number of pixels in a column direction of the binning are the same. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and the number of pixels in a column direction of the binning are different. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a readout noise of the CMOS image sensor is equal to or less than 0.4 e-rms. 
     
     
         7 . A method for converting a digital value output from a CMOS image sensor, in which the CMOS image sensor includes:
 a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element configured to convert input light to charge, and an amplifier configured to amplify the charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element and convert the charge to a voltage; and   an A/D converter configured to convert the voltage output from the amplifier of each of the plurality of pixels to a digital value and output the digital value, the method comprising:
 a summing step of summing the digital value corresponding to at least two pixels that are targets of binning among the plurality of pixels and outputting a summed value; 
 a conversion step of converting the summed value by referring to threshold data corresponding to a size of the binning; and 
 a data processing step of outputting a conversion result from the conversion step. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising an input step of inputting measurement conditions, wherein the targets of the binning are designated based on the measurement conditions input in the input step. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and a column direction of the binning are designated based on the measurement conditions. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and the number of pixels in a column direction of the binning are the same. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the number of pixels in a row direction and the number of pixels in a column direction of the binning are different. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the readout noise of the CMOS image sensor is equal to or less than 0.4 e-rms. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program causing the computer to:
 acquire a digital value output from a CMOS image sensor including a plurality of pixels and an A/D converter, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element configured to convert input light to charge, and an amplifier configured to amplify the charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element and convert the charge to a voltage, and wherein the A/D converter is configured to convert the voltage output from the amplifier of each of the plurality of pixels to a digital value and output the digital value;   output a summed value obtained by summing the digital value in at least two pixels that are targets of binning among the plurality of pixels;   convert the summed value by referring to threshold data corresponding to a size of the binning; and   output a conversion result of the summed value converted.